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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
Despite the votes of confidence passed on the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, members of the party sympathetic to the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike have again insisted that Ayu must resign.
The group threatened that it won’t be part of the presidential campaign of the party except the embattled national chairman, Dr. Ayu, resigns his position, adding that they have pulled out of the campaign council for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, pending when the party meets its demand.
Announcing their resolution after the meeting held at the Rumuepirikom country home of Governor Wike early Wednesday, former deputy national chairman, South West of the PDP, Olabode George declared that their position is not negotiable.
He said that the meeting came to the resolution that Ayu’s continued stay in office undermines the constitution and unity of the party.
The resolution demanded that Sen. Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman of the party making way for an “active chairman of Southern extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.
“Consequently, we resolved not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu”, Chief George stated.
The group accused Ayu of compromise especially on the role he played in the conduct of the party’s presidential primaries held on May 28 and 29, 2022.
Chief George added: “For the national chairman, Sen. Ayu to go and embrace Tambuwal, calling him the hero of the convention which means there was a private arrangement that was done with Tambuwal to short change Governor Wike. And there was referee who helped one of the sides to score a goal and then blew the whistle that a goal has been scored.
“This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians and therefore, we unequivocally ask that Ayu must step down”.
He explained that the group’s support for Wike was not because he lost the presidential primaries or because he was not chosen as the vice presidential candidate of the party, but because of equity and justice in the party”.
Also speaking another founding member of the PDP, Prof. Jerry Gana explained that Ayu continuing as national chairman of the party was tantamount to building on a faulty foundation.
“Therefore, he said, this call for the chairman to step down or to resign is not because any of us is aggrieved but because it is important to ensure a fair structure, a just structure, a principled structure and constitutional structure for the party.
“If we want to restructure Nigeria, we should have the courage to restructure our party”, he added.
Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde expressed hope that the party hierarchy should listen to the voice of reason and do the needful.